The present invention relates to an oscillating deck particularly for use in the treatment of a product such as peanuts. The deck also has other applications in relation to other products.
The purpose of the deck is to support the product and to convey the product past one or more treatment stages.
In the processing of peanuts for use in food products such as peanut-butter or confectionery bars etc., it is often required to remove the outer husk from pre-shelled peanuts, to break the peanut into two halves, and to remove the germ.
This process has been previously carried out by conveying the peanuts along a series of inclined and oscillated decks which serve to singulate the flow of peanuts and to deliver a steady stream of peanuts to be passed between the nips of transversely mounted rollers. In the past each deck has consisted of a single inclined surface driven in oscillation by an eccentric drive mounted on the main frame of apparatus concerned. Prior art apparatus of this kind has been very bulky, has been inefficient in terms of durability and energy expenditure, and is unsuitable for high frequency oscillations.